Railway-signal



R. H. BARNES.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION men APR. 14. 1916.

Paterited June 24, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET J.

KZZBameS R. H. BARNES.

" RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. tale.

1,307,476. Patented June 24,1919.

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ROBERT E. BARNES, or POWDER sPRInGs, GEORGIA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed April 14, 1916. Serial No. 9 1,104.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Powder Springs, in the county of Cobb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railway signals and the principal object of the invention is to provide a crossing signal which is adapted to notify persons approaching the railroad that a train is approaching.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which will permit the train tomove in one direction without operating the same.

' A still further object of the invention is to provide a device in which the shaft is prevented from breaking should more than one train be passing the crossing at the same time so as to adapt the device for use in yards and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device which will give the signal both in the day time and at night thus insuring a relatively safe railway crossing.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts which will be fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in Which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the track illustrating this crossing signal as it would appear when applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view and elevation of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 83 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: is a detail elevation of the signal 0st. p Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the operating shaft. J

Fig. 6 illustrates the modified form of the device showing the same applied to a plurality of tracks, and I Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating in detail the rocker shaft and rocker arm mountings of the modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the rails of the track connected by the usual cross ties 2. Secured to the cross ties are suitable longitudinal strips 3 for supporting the journal bearings 4 which are mounted on the under side thereof and in which the operating shaft 5 is rotatably mounted. Secured to the operating shaft is a suitable arm 6 which projects upwardly beside the rail and is provided with a lug 7 for engagement against the head of the rail so as to bring the same in operating proximity to the Wheel flange of the train. Secured to a portion of the shaft which extends beyond the rail is a suitable collar 8 having an upstanding arm 9 formed thereon which is provided with a finger 10 for engagement with the lever 11 which is formed integral with the loosely mounted sleeve 12 as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The upper end of the lever is provided with an eye 13 through which the flexible member which will be more fully hereinafter described is connected.

Secured near the outermost strip 3 is a suitable supporting bar 14 on which the rocker arm 15 is pivoted and this arm has connected to one end the flexible member 16 which connects through the eye 13 of the lever 11 and the opposite end of this arm is connected with the rod member 17 having a turn buckle 18 at its end. A rod 19 is adjustably connected in the opposite end of the turn buckle and has connected thereto a flexible member 19, which leads to the signal and post over suitable guide pulleys 20 mounted at spaced intervals along the track. It will be understood that the flexible member 19 may be of any suitable length which will permit the operating mechanism to be remote from the signal post so that the signal will be given when the train is a considerable distance away.

The signal post hereinbefore referred to.

is designated by the numeral 21 and has rotatably mounted near its lower end the guide pulley 22 over which the flexible member 19 passes and the end of the flexible member opposite that which is connected to the turn buckle 18 is attached to an eye 23 carried by the rear end of the signal board 24 which is pivoted as at 25 to the upper end of the post 21. A suitable hood 26 is secured to the signal board and overhangs the upper end of the post as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. A suitable depending flange 27 is formed on the hood 26 and forms a cover for the lamp 28 the casing of which is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed openings, 28, which extend at right angles to the track and which are disposed so that when the signal board is in a position shown in Fig. 2 the same will be completely housed. Upon the operation of the signal however, and the swinging of the same on its pivot it will be seen that the openings will be alternately covered and uncovered with the movement of the signal board so that the signal light will be alternately exposed and covered. In order that the si nal will be returned to its original position a suitable retractile coil spring 29 is attached to the arm 9 of the sleeve 8 and normally holds the finger 10 against the arm 11 while a retractile coil spring of greater strength is connected at 30 to the signal board and at 31 near the lower end of the post. It will thus be seen that the signal board will tend to remain downwardly as shown in Fig. 2 against the tension of the spring 29 and thus when the signal is not being given the lamp will remain covered. In the modified form of the device illustrated in Fig. 6 the operating shaft is designated by the numeral 32 and is journaled beneath the track in a manner similar to the supporting of the shaft 5. One end of the shaft 32 is extended and provided with a suitable collar 33, provided With an upstanding arm 34 carrying the lug or finger 35 which is adapted to engage the arm, 36 on the ring 37 which is loosely mounted on the shaft 32 so that upon rotation of the shaft the arm 36 will be moved in one direction but when the shaft moves oppositely thereto the arm 36 will remain at rest. In order to avoid the possibility of breaking the shaft should more than one train be passing the crossing at the same time a suitable collar 38 constructed in the manner similar to the collar 33 is provided and carries the lug 39 which engages the rocker arm 40 which is loosely mounted on the shaft and carries at its upper end the finger 41 which is adapted to be engaged by the wheel flange. As shown in Fig. 7 the lug 39 is positioned oppositely to the lug 35 and it will thus be seen that when the wheel flange of a train approaching in one direction engages the finger 41 the rocker 40 will be swung against the lug 39 thereby rotating the shaft 32 and causing the finger 35 to move the lever 36 thus exerting pull on the flexible member attached thereto so that the signal which is constructed in a manner previously described will be operated, but when a train approaches from the opposite direction the rocker 40 will be swung in an opposite direction and away from the lug 39 and thus not move the same.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a particularly simple and efficient signaling means is provided to notify persons approaching a railway crossing of the approach of a train and it will also be understood that the signal will be as effective at night as it is in the day time due to the fact that the light will alternately be covered or exposed.

It is to be understood that the signal board 24: is to be operated by trains traveling in only one direction on either track of the double-track railway, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that such changes may be made in the combination and arrangement of parts as will fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A crossing signal comprising a post se cured near a railroad track, a signal board pivotally mounted near the upper end of the post, a signal light carried by the upper end of the post and having opposed light openings therein, a housing carried by one side of the signal board and adapted in connection with the board to cover said light openings, when the board is in its normal position and adapted to uncover the light openings when the board is in its raised position, and means for actuating said signal board on the approach of a train.

2. In a railroad crossing signal comprising a post secured near a railroad track, a signal board carried by the post, a rocker shaft extending across the track a short distance from the crossing, an upright arm secured on the shaft, an angular lug formed on the'upper end of said arm and positioned adjacent to the rail heads and adapted to be engaged by the flanges of the wheels passing over the track, a sleeve secured on the shaft in spaced relation to the arm, a finger ex tending outwardly from the sleeve and having its axis disposed parallel to the axis of the shaft, a lever loosely journaled on the shaft and adapted to be engaged by the finger, spring means for normally holding the finger in engagement with the lever, and flexible means connecting the upper end of the lever with the signal board, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. BARNES.

Witnesses:

S. RnYNoLns, D. R. LITTLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

